Hello everyone! I hope you all loved the last level. I'm afraid to say the
fun events in this time period won't take as long as the ones in the last
few, but the level will be long. So that's why it will take up most of the
next chapter, as well as a good chunk of this one. Hope you can stay with
it. Anyway, let's begin! Oh, and by the way, it's easier to envision Arik
if you think of him as having a slight British accent. It's kind of the
look I was going for.
Disclaimer: Duh.
Scales climbed down the ladder. Arik was already eating breakfast. "Good morning, sleepy head." He said. "I've been waiting for you for the last half hour!" he said jokingly. Scales smirked as she sat down and started eating the meat before her. "Well, I had a really good dream that I didn't want to wake up from." She said. This was true. She had actually been having a very strange dream involving Arik in a white tuxedo. She had been wearing a long dress and they were dancing in some sort of crazy musical based on their adventure so far, with props for most of the places and objects and plenty of special effects. It had been strangely satisfying dancing with the dream Arik. In fact, they had been leaning closer for something just when one of her systems, which automatically woke her up once she had been sleeping for the maximum amount of time allotted to her by her internal computer, woke her up from the wonderful dream. Arik smiled a little. "I won't pry. To tell the truth, I had an interesting dream myself that I was unfortunately woken up from by the cry of the archaeopteryx." Strangely enough, Arik's dream had been exactly the same as Scales'! Of course, neither of them knew that. Arik was actually a little unsettled by the knowledge that he had been about to kiss the dream Scales. He did not love her! He could not love her! And yet the notions Darius, curse that hound, had placed into his mind kept coming back to him. Perhaps he was starting to fall for Scales, at least a little bit? He quickly discontinued this thought and focused on other things. "So, ready for today's time trip?" "You know it!" said Scales. "Good! When you're done eating, we can leave." Said Arik. With this sudden incentive, Scales impressed Arik by managing to completely devour the rest of her steak in thirty seconds flat. "Wow, I've never seen anyone eat a whole steak that fast before!" Scales wiped her mouth. "I'm a woman of many talents. So, where are we going?" "Well, let's see." Arik pulled out the Master Ruby. Once again, the world was visible in it. It rotated and then zoomed in to show Greece. An X appeared at a spot on the map of Greece and the numbers 3000 BC appeared. "Ooh, ancient Greece! We can visit Herc!" "Herc?" Scales asked. "It's a nickname for Hercules." Arik explained. Scales' eyes widened. "You know Hercules?! Oh my god, I've wanted to actually see him ever since I was five!" Arik blinked, a little surprised at Scales' reaction. "Yeah, Herc and I go way back. To tell the truth, he couldn't have done many of his labors without a little help from yours truly." "Get out!" said Scales. "No really, he could never have skinned the Nemean lion without my claws." Arik said modestly. "Wow. Do you think you could get me his autograph?" Scales asked eagerly. "I don't see why not, from the map it seems we're going to land near his home town. Shall we depart?" Arik asked. "Yeah, I can't wait to meet Hercules! Wonder if we can toss some boulders around." Scales said as she got up. Arik grabbed her hand. "Why don't we find out now? Chronos Control!" They warped away.
One trip through the Time Stream later, our heroes reappeared in a pastoral meadow somewhere in Greece. Nearby a babbling brook ran over round stones. There was a large herd of cute, fluffy sheep munching on the grass. "Aw, how cute!" Scales said, bending down to get a better look at a sheep. It looked at her for a moment, then licked her face. "Hey, stop that!" she protested, giggling as the ticklish tongue washed over her face. Arik smirked and looked around. He did a double take when he saw the shepherd, who was sitting under a shady tree. "Herc!" Arik cried, getting the shepherd's attention. The human under the tree, who was wearing a straw hat, sandals, and a tunic, looked around in confusion then got up. He was incredibly muscular, not to mention handsome. He had good looks that would make Leonardo Decaprio jealous. He had brown locks down to his shoulders and blue eyes. When the man saw the raptor, he burst into a grin and started running over. "Hey, Arik! Long time no see!" The man yelled as he got over. "Hercules, it's been too long. How are things in Greece these days?" Arik asked cheerfully. Hercules pulled off his hat and stowed it in his tunic. "Oh, pretty peaceful. Haven't had a monster attack since yesterday, and even then it was just a basilisk." "JUST a basilisk?" Arik joked. "Yeah, it was only twenty feet high and breathed fire, not much of a threat." Hercules said, also joking. Scales managed to pull away from the sheep and stood in awe of the demigod. "Wow! You're Hercules!" she said. Herc chuckled. "Yes, I've noticed. And you would be?" "Scales the Lizard. Could I happen to have your autograph, sir? It would be worth a lot where I come from." Scales asked. Hercules shrugged. "Anything for a pretty lady like yourself." Arik scowled and pretended to scold the hero. "Now Hercules, don't you dare go flirting around! What would Megaera think if she found out you were spending a little too much time with someone else?" Hercules gulped and sweated a little. "Curse you Arik, invoking the name of the one person I fear more than Hera!" Scales couldn't help laughing a little. "It's okay, we won't tell a soul. So, can I have that autograph please?" "Oh right, the autograph." Hercules pulled out a piece of parchment from his tunic as well as a feather pen. "Always keep one of these handy, in case I run into fans." He explained. He wrote his name on the paper and handed it to Scales. "Here you go." Scales admired the autograph. "Whoa, I got Hercules' autograph! Too bad it's written in Greek, which I can't understand." She put it away. "So Arik, what brings you and the lady to my meadow?" Hercules asked. "We're looking for a magical jewel called a Chronos Ruby. I doubt the name sounds familiar, but it looks like a large cut gemstone that shows images of the future if you stare in it long enough." Arik said. "Have you heard of a jewel like it Mister Hercules?" Scales asked hopefully. The great hero stroked his chin for a moment, thinking about it. "Actually, I believe I know of this jewel you are looking for." "Really? Where is it?" Arik asked. Hercules started talking. "Back when I was but a lad, only strong enough to crush rocks twice the size of my head, my mother told me a bedtime story once, a very strange one." "Oh?" said Scales. Herc nodded. "Yes, she told me how a hundred years or so ago, my granddaddy was visited by a strange lizard, much like Arik here. The lizard gave my grandpa a strange jewel and told him to keep it safe, then vanished. Grandpa was intrigued by some of the strange pictures he saw in the jewel, and showed it to his court magicians. (For those of you who aren't mythology buffs, Hercules is technically a prince as well as a demigod and great hero, so it makes sense for his mortal grandfather to be king.) The magicians were unable to fathom the true power of the jewel, but were slightly scared by what they were able to find about it, claiming it possessed a shard of a god's soul. They knew immediately it did not belong in the hands of mortals. They beseeched Hades and presented him with the jewel containing a piece of the sibling. Recognizing it, Hades promised to keep it out of harm's way, constructing a subterranean temple to house." "Where is this temple?" asked Arik. Hercules smirked. "Would you believe the cave the temple is in is only a mile from here? I know, I went to the entrance once. Never actually got to the temple though." "How come?" asked Scales. "Because the caves are a maze full of lava, that's why! I never figured out how to get through the lava, so I let it be. Now, if you two are looking to get to this cave, I'd be happy to oblige. However, there are a couple of things you should know about the cave and the temple before you even try to get in it." Said Hercules. "What sort of things?" asked Arik. Hercules frowned. "Well, the lava itself is the biggest threat. There are also strange stone things that spurt flame, according to the tale I heard. I also heard about cobwebs strong enough to support a man twice my size and weight, and large plums that are lava-proof and can be rode on like a raft." They stared at him. "Lava-proof plums?" Scales asked skeptically. Hercules nodded. "Yeah, I know it sounds far-fetched, but I actually saw one! I would have used it to try and get through the caves, but I was too big to fit on the darn thing." He paused, trying to remember something. "Oh yeah, one other thing you should know. Only someone immortal can go in the temple. Hades did that to make sure that no clever thief would just walk in, get past all the hazards, and get the jewel." Scales puffed up her chest. "Well then, there shouldn't be a problem. I'm immortal, so I should be able to get in that temple easily." Hercules arched an eyebrow. "Immortal, are you? Don't be so cocky, Hades rules Tartarus. He's a master at devising defenses to keep the evil dead from returning to the living world. Making hazards to keep a jewel safe is not much different." "Well, we'll see about these dangers when we reach the temple, shall we? We had better hurry, there are some people after us who also want the Ruby. We have to get there first." Said Arik. "Let's go then!" said Herc, starting to walk away. Arik followed. "Wait, what about the sheep?" asked Scales. "Oh don't worry, they can tend to themselves." Hercules said with a dismissive wave. "Are you coming or not?" "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Scales said, catching up to the two men. They started walking away from the pasture, towards a forest.
A few minutes after they left, a time portal opened, frightening some of the sheep. Sauron stepped out, sniffing the air. "Ah, much better! The smell is greatly improved from that last place." He looked around and licked his lips. "And so much food! Look at it all, plentiful livestock and delicious-looking plants! Ah, an omnivore's paradise!" He sniffed again, and frowned. "Wait a minute. I know that scent. Those two meddlers have been here, and not too long ago from the smell of things. Better get some troops over here, don't want them getting too far ahead of me." He put his head back through the portal. "Hey boys, get your tails over here! We've got fresh meat and grass, and you've got some tracking to do!" He pulled his head back as cheers resounded back home, then grinned nastily at a nervous-looking sheep. "Ah, you look fit to eat, you cuddly thing you! I think I'll eat you first!" Screeching, Sauron pounced on the poor sheep and began disemboweling it, drinking the blood spilt from the wounds he inflicted.
Hercules stopped at a big crack in the ground. "Okay, here we are." He said. Scales and Arik looked at the crack. "I thought you said it was a cave." Said Scales. "It is a cave!" said Herc. "You've just got to walk into the crack, down the slope at the end, see?" he said, pointing to a slope going into the crack. "Once you get down the slope, you're in the cave. Nothing to it." Arik and Scales looked at each other. "That crack's pretty narrow. Who goes first?" he asked. Suddenly, the three heard several approaching roars. "What the Hades?" Hercules asked, disgruntled. Three dozen Massopondylus and raptors could be seen through the trees racing for them. "What kind of monsters are these?" "Oh no! They've found us already! Arik, get in the cave and try to find the temple! Herc and I will hold these buggers off!" said Scales. "But how will you find me once I reach the temple entrance?" Arik protested as the dinosaurs got closer. "I can sense the energy from your Ruby at long distance. When you find the temple, take out the Master Ruby as a signal for me. I can home in on the signal and warp right to you." She said. Arik glanced uneasily at the approaching pack. "Are you sure you can handle these guys? There'll probably be more after them." Scales grinned. "With this time period's greatest hero working with me? It'll be easy!" Arik hesitated, then nodded in defeat. "Fine, just don't get hurt okay?" Hercules rolled his eyes. "Please, we'll be fine Arik! Just go down there already, Scales and I can take care of ourselves." Arik paused another second, then ran into the crack. Scales grinned at Herc as the omnivores reached them. "So hero, ready to rumble?" "You know it!" he said, charging at the dinosaurs. Scales followed him, eager to slit some throats.
Arik winced immediately once he truly was inside the cave. It was extremely hot, due to the molten lava everywhere. The cave was built a little like a fissure, with high walls and lava far below. Arik was on a ledge at the bottom of the slope in the crack. Ahead of him was a horizontal bridge between the walls. Taking a few steps back, Arik leaped to the bridge, landing neatly on it as always. He looked to the right and saw the bridge connected to a ledge running along the wall. He walked to the ledge and started following it. As he went along the ledge, the fissure started widening. When Arik reached the end of the ledge, he could see a big ledge to his left. He jumped across the lava and landed on the big ledge. He followed the ledge until he got out into a big lava-filled cave. The ledge ended a little way ahead, stopping in front of a large stone pillar rising from the lava. Arik walked to the end of the ledge and saw a catwalk running along the side of the pillar. He jumped high and landed on the catwalk, then started going up it. He reached the end and dropped down a few feet to a small platform. On the side facing the platform Arik was now on was a crack in the stone. He slammed his tail into the crack, breaking it open. The pillar was hollow! From the new hole in the pillar, a floating vine drifted out and hovered over the lava. Recalling Scales' mention of these things, Arik thought he could use the vine to reach a ledge across the cavern. He took a running leap and grabbed the vine, swinging it with enough momentum to let go and land on the ledge he was aiming for. He really was that good at jumping. He looked around the large ledge and saw that across a small gap was a slope leading away from the cave. He jumped easily over the gap and started up the slope. He came out in another lava-filled area, a river. Another large ledge was nearby, across another small gap. There was a strange creature, some sort of a monster on the ledge. It was purple, with big pointy ears, bulging yellow eyes, a long nose and thick arms that drooped to the ground. It had a brown loincloth, and clawed feet. It looked like some kind of imp. The imp made a squelching noise and conjured a large fireball, throwing it at Arik. Arik dodged the fireball and started throwing energy balls at the imp. Each ball struck the creature dead-on. The imp squelched again and tried to conjure another fireball. Arik quickly let loose with a dozen energy balls before the imp could even conjure an ember. The imp staggered back and fell to the ground, quite dead. Arik jumped over to the ledge and looked around to see if he could find anywhere else to go. He saw another ledge up ahead. He jumped to the ledge, then the one after that. He jumped from there to a ledge on the other side of the river of lava. He found what looked like a tree with a giant plum hanging from it. Could this be one of the plums Hercules was talking about? He hit the tree with a Homing Kick, causing the plum to fall down. It bounced a little, but was otherwise unharmed. Arik picked up the plum and dropped it off the side of the ledge. True to what he had been told, the plum did not burn up in the lava! He jumped down, landing on the plum. The only problem he had now was figuring out how to steer the thing. On impulse, he generated an energy ball and threw it away from him. He was surprised when the plum started moving in the opposite direction he had shot at! Perhaps this was how he could use the plum to get around. Using energy balls, Arik started piloting the plum down stream, following the lava. After a few minutes of shooting his way down the lava flow, Arik found a ledge near where the lava hit a wall and went underneath it. He fired a ball at the opposite wall to push the plum into the ledge, stopping its movement. He jumped up to the ledge and found a cave entrance and another plum tree. Thinking it might come in handy, Arik knocked down the plum and carried it into the cave. He stopped when he saw a large pit full of lava up ahead. In the middle of the lava was a large metal spike sticking up. Arik considered. The other side of the pit looked too far away to jump to. The spike was too sharp to work as a platform, unless...he threw the plum at the spike. It landed on the top, getting partially skewered. Knowing it could fall off at any second, Arik jumped to the plum, then immediately jumped to the other side of the pit as the plum started to fall of the spike. He walked away from the pit and found himself in a large room with lots of lava. There were a few platforms and natural pillars in the room. There were also a couple of metal spikes in different places. Arik saw another plum tree nearby and knocked the plum from it. He looked around and saw the closest platform was within jumping distance. It also had a metal spike sticking out of a pillar. Since Arik didn't want to try jumping while carrying the large plum, he threw it as hard as he could in the general direction of the platform. It landed neatly on the end of the spike. Arik jumped after it and caught the plum before it could fall from the spike. He then threw it to a spike on a nearby platform and jumped over, catching it before it could fall again. He saw a ledge high on the cave wall above him. He threw the plum to the ledge then jumped to it. He picked up the plum and walked through the tunnel on the ledge, reaching another lava stream. He dropped the plum in the lava, jumped on, and started propelling himself down the stream. After a little while, he saw a ledge on the side of the stream. He stopped the plum and jumped to the ledge. He saw some large cobwebs on the ceiling. Remembering what Hercules had said, Arik jumped up and grabbed the webbing. He was relieved to find it was indeed strong enough to support him. Using the webbing like monkey bars, he started down the rest of the tunnel, clutching the cobwebs tightly. Eventually, he saw a ledge and cave on his right. He swung to the end of the cobwebs and jumped down to the ledge. A pair of baby giant caterpillars immediately attacked him. He blasted the insects to oblivion and went into the cave. He saw the way ahead of him once more filled with lava. Fortunately, another plum tree grew to his right. He knocked down the plum, threw it in the lava, and hopped on. He started shooting energy balls to move around the lava, reaching the back of the cave, near some ledges. He jumped off the plum and to the nearest ledge, then jumped from ledge to ledge until he reached a passageway. He went through the passage and came to a small platform overlooking a larger stream of lava. Grabbing a plum from the nearby tree, Arik threw it into the lava and jumped after it, beginning another trip downstream. After turning a corner, he saw two things up ahead, a ledge on his right and a bridge going over the lava a little further ahead. On the bridge was an imp, who promptly started throwing fireballs. Arik started blasting at the imp with his own energy balls while piloting the plum to a hiding place behind the ledge. He jumped to the ledge and almost got hit by a fireball. He ran into the tunnel on the ledge and followed it as it curved around, opening up on the same lava stream, on another bridge just behind the one with the imp. The imp turned around and started throwing fireballs at the raptor. Arik, instead of just dodging and throwing energy balls, jumped over to the other bridge, grabbed the imp by the ears, and threw it into the lava. The threat gone, Arik went through a tunnel at the end of the imp's bridge. He entered the tunnel and came out in a cave with a few pillars in it and a tunnel high up the wall. As Arik stepped into the room, another imp squelched and ran at him from behind a pillar. Arik quickly hit the imp with a few energy balls and followed it up with a Homing Kick, stunning the imp. While the monster was stunned, the raptor grabbed the creature and hurled him into a wall, knocking him out. The imp out cold, Arik headed for the wall where the tunnel was. He easily jumped up to the tunnel and went inside. The tunnel widened a bit up ahead, revealing some fallen pillars and a hole in the floor. There was nowhere else to go, so Arik jumped down the hole. When he landed, he was in front of the entrance to the temple. It was very Greek looking, with some white pillars supporting a triangular roof. Stairs led up to a door leading inside. Arik sighed in relief. "Good, I've made it. Time to signal Scales." He pulled out the Master Ruby. "I hope she can sense it through all this rock."
Scales dropped another raptor to the ground, leaving a big gash in his stomach. "That would be my twentieth kill so far! How are you doing Herc?" She asked as another Massopondylus charged her. Hercules smashes two dinosaur's skulls and kicked another through five trees. "Damn, I've only gotten up to fifteen! You're good." "Thanks!" said Scales as she tore the Massopondylus' throat out. "Make that twenty-one. Oh! I sense Chronos energy! Arik must have found the temple." "Go on, I can handle these goons! They're nothing compared to the man- eating horses of King Diomedes!" said Hercules, crushing another pair of dinos. "Okay, have fun! Chaos Control!" Scales vanished in a flash of green light.
"Well, looks like it's more for me." Said Hercules, smashing another few raptors.
Scales appeared in the cavern, right in front of the temple. Arik was happy to see her. "It worked! I was worried you wouldn't be able to get here." Scales grinned. "Actually, I wasn't sure it would work either. I was kind of guessing it might work." Arik frowned. "You mean to tell me you sent me down here on an assumption that you could follow me safely just so you could beat up more bad guys?" Scales paused. "Well, sort of." Arik groaned. "Whatever. In any case, we're here now. It's your turn to face certain death, Scales. Go in the temple and get that Ruby!" "Aye aye, captain!" Scales joked, heading up the stairs. "Do be careful!" Arik yelled up at her. Scales smirked. "Aren't I always?" With that, she went through the temple door. "I hope she's okay..." said Arik. "I'd hate for anything bad to happen to her." He leaned against a wall and closed his eyes, deciding he should just take a nap until Scales got back. After all, he had nothing better to do while he waited.
Sorry if this chapter was too short, but I was really out of ideas for what they could do in Greece. That's why I took up so much time with this lava cave thing. Don't worry, the next time period will have a little more scenery. The next chapter may be shorter than usual as well, but please bear with me anyway. So let's move on to our interview! Scales: Hi! Me: Scales, How was it to meet one of your favorite heroes? Scales: He's pretty much like I had expected him to be. He was a good fighter when Sauron's troops started their attack. I'm glad he gave me his autograph. Too bad back home, everyone will think it's a fake. Me: Hey, at least you know it's real. Anyway, how was Greece? Scales: Shorter than I had imagined. Why is that? Me: I was pretty much out of ideas on how to handle this time period, so I had to cut everything down a bit. Besides, it made room for that Arik level thing, didn't it? Scales: Yeah, I guess. Me: Don't worry, I'll try to get you guys a longer experience in the next time period. Scales: Well, all right. When are going, anyway? Me: Can't tell you. Secret. Scales: Damn it all. Me: Anyway, how was your dinner date with Arik? Scales: Very nice, thank you. We decided not to eat Ultra Peepi, he's just too big. Me: Where is that cute giant hamster anyway? Scales: Uh, I'm not exactly sure. (Cut to New York City, where people are running in fear from the giant mutant hamster.) I'm sure he's okay, though. Me: That's nice. Time for some questions! First, from 273. He wants to know why you didn't take Nagus' gold. Scales: How were we supposed to get it out of the cave, even with Chaos Control? There was over a ton of gold coins! Me: He also wants to know how Nagus survived the whole pretzel thing. Scales: Goblins are more resilient than most people, so they can survive more pain. Me: By the way, he tried to get away with giving you fake Chronos Rubies. Scales: WHAT?! Oh, he'll pay for that! Me: Good luck, he vanished right after his review. Anyway, we also have some questions from good old Ultrafan X. He wants to know whether or not we could hide a Ruby somewhere in the present, or during one of your brother's earlier adventures. Scales: We can't do that for one simple reason. You're too lazy to put them anywhere but in the ancient past. Me: SILENCE! I will have no mocking of me! I gave you life and I can take it away! Scales: No you can't. Who will star in the fic? Me: Curse your incredibly high IQ! Anyway, he also thinks Sauron was an idiot to only send three pterodactyls to the swamp. Scales: Not really, swamps are difficult terrain for soldiers. There's not much ground, and there are often nasty things in the water. It was good strategy for him to send flyers, since they could just go over the dangerous parts and land in safe places. Anyway, he only had three adult pterodactyls to spare, the others were too immature. Me: Interesting. Well, that's all the time we have for now. Bye! Scales: See you next time! Please review!
Scales climbed down the ladder. Arik was already eating breakfast. "Good morning, sleepy head." He said. "I've been waiting for you for the last half hour!" he said jokingly. Scales smirked as she sat down and started eating the meat before her. "Well, I had a really good dream that I didn't want to wake up from." She said. This was true. She had actually been having a very strange dream involving Arik in a white tuxedo. She had been wearing a long dress and they were dancing in some sort of crazy musical based on their adventure so far, with props for most of the places and objects and plenty of special effects. It had been strangely satisfying dancing with the dream Arik. In fact, they had been leaning closer for something just when one of her systems, which automatically woke her up once she had been sleeping for the maximum amount of time allotted to her by her internal computer, woke her up from the wonderful dream. Arik smiled a little. "I won't pry. To tell the truth, I had an interesting dream myself that I was unfortunately woken up from by the cry of the archaeopteryx." Strangely enough, Arik's dream had been exactly the same as Scales'! Of course, neither of them knew that. Arik was actually a little unsettled by the knowledge that he had been about to kiss the dream Scales. He did not love her! He could not love her! And yet the notions Darius, curse that hound, had placed into his mind kept coming back to him. Perhaps he was starting to fall for Scales, at least a little bit? He quickly discontinued this thought and focused on other things. "So, ready for today's time trip?" "You know it!" said Scales. "Good! When you're done eating, we can leave." Said Arik. With this sudden incentive, Scales impressed Arik by managing to completely devour the rest of her steak in thirty seconds flat. "Wow, I've never seen anyone eat a whole steak that fast before!" Scales wiped her mouth. "I'm a woman of many talents. So, where are we going?" "Well, let's see." Arik pulled out the Master Ruby. Once again, the world was visible in it. It rotated and then zoomed in to show Greece. An X appeared at a spot on the map of Greece and the numbers 3000 BC appeared. "Ooh, ancient Greece! We can visit Herc!" "Herc?" Scales asked. "It's a nickname for Hercules." Arik explained. Scales' eyes widened. "You know Hercules?! Oh my god, I've wanted to actually see him ever since I was five!" Arik blinked, a little surprised at Scales' reaction. "Yeah, Herc and I go way back. To tell the truth, he couldn't have done many of his labors without a little help from yours truly." "Get out!" said Scales. "No really, he could never have skinned the Nemean lion without my claws." Arik said modestly. "Wow. Do you think you could get me his autograph?" Scales asked eagerly. "I don't see why not, from the map it seems we're going to land near his home town. Shall we depart?" Arik asked. "Yeah, I can't wait to meet Hercules! Wonder if we can toss some boulders around." Scales said as she got up. Arik grabbed her hand. "Why don't we find out now? Chronos Control!" They warped away.
One trip through the Time Stream later, our heroes reappeared in a pastoral meadow somewhere in Greece. Nearby a babbling brook ran over round stones. There was a large herd of cute, fluffy sheep munching on the grass. "Aw, how cute!" Scales said, bending down to get a better look at a sheep. It looked at her for a moment, then licked her face. "Hey, stop that!" she protested, giggling as the ticklish tongue washed over her face. Arik smirked and looked around. He did a double take when he saw the shepherd, who was sitting under a shady tree. "Herc!" Arik cried, getting the shepherd's attention. The human under the tree, who was wearing a straw hat, sandals, and a tunic, looked around in confusion then got up. He was incredibly muscular, not to mention handsome. He had good looks that would make Leonardo Decaprio jealous. He had brown locks down to his shoulders and blue eyes. When the man saw the raptor, he burst into a grin and started running over. "Hey, Arik! Long time no see!" The man yelled as he got over. "Hercules, it's been too long. How are things in Greece these days?" Arik asked cheerfully. Hercules pulled off his hat and stowed it in his tunic. "Oh, pretty peaceful. Haven't had a monster attack since yesterday, and even then it was just a basilisk." "JUST a basilisk?" Arik joked. "Yeah, it was only twenty feet high and breathed fire, not much of a threat." Hercules said, also joking. Scales managed to pull away from the sheep and stood in awe of the demigod. "Wow! You're Hercules!" she said. Herc chuckled. "Yes, I've noticed. And you would be?" "Scales the Lizard. Could I happen to have your autograph, sir? It would be worth a lot where I come from." Scales asked. Hercules shrugged. "Anything for a pretty lady like yourself." Arik scowled and pretended to scold the hero. "Now Hercules, don't you dare go flirting around! What would Megaera think if she found out you were spending a little too much time with someone else?" Hercules gulped and sweated a little. "Curse you Arik, invoking the name of the one person I fear more than Hera!" Scales couldn't help laughing a little. "It's okay, we won't tell a soul. So, can I have that autograph please?" "Oh right, the autograph." Hercules pulled out a piece of parchment from his tunic as well as a feather pen. "Always keep one of these handy, in case I run into fans." He explained. He wrote his name on the paper and handed it to Scales. "Here you go." Scales admired the autograph. "Whoa, I got Hercules' autograph! Too bad it's written in Greek, which I can't understand." She put it away. "So Arik, what brings you and the lady to my meadow?" Hercules asked. "We're looking for a magical jewel called a Chronos Ruby. I doubt the name sounds familiar, but it looks like a large cut gemstone that shows images of the future if you stare in it long enough." Arik said. "Have you heard of a jewel like it Mister Hercules?" Scales asked hopefully. The great hero stroked his chin for a moment, thinking about it. "Actually, I believe I know of this jewel you are looking for." "Really? Where is it?" Arik asked. Hercules started talking. "Back when I was but a lad, only strong enough to crush rocks twice the size of my head, my mother told me a bedtime story once, a very strange one." "Oh?" said Scales. Herc nodded. "Yes, she told me how a hundred years or so ago, my granddaddy was visited by a strange lizard, much like Arik here. The lizard gave my grandpa a strange jewel and told him to keep it safe, then vanished. Grandpa was intrigued by some of the strange pictures he saw in the jewel, and showed it to his court magicians. (For those of you who aren't mythology buffs, Hercules is technically a prince as well as a demigod and great hero, so it makes sense for his mortal grandfather to be king.) The magicians were unable to fathom the true power of the jewel, but were slightly scared by what they were able to find about it, claiming it possessed a shard of a god's soul. They knew immediately it did not belong in the hands of mortals. They beseeched Hades and presented him with the jewel containing a piece of the sibling. Recognizing it, Hades promised to keep it out of harm's way, constructing a subterranean temple to house." "Where is this temple?" asked Arik. Hercules smirked. "Would you believe the cave the temple is in is only a mile from here? I know, I went to the entrance once. Never actually got to the temple though." "How come?" asked Scales. "Because the caves are a maze full of lava, that's why! I never figured out how to get through the lava, so I let it be. Now, if you two are looking to get to this cave, I'd be happy to oblige. However, there are a couple of things you should know about the cave and the temple before you even try to get in it." Said Hercules. "What sort of things?" asked Arik. Hercules frowned. "Well, the lava itself is the biggest threat. There are also strange stone things that spurt flame, according to the tale I heard. I also heard about cobwebs strong enough to support a man twice my size and weight, and large plums that are lava-proof and can be rode on like a raft." They stared at him. "Lava-proof plums?" Scales asked skeptically. Hercules nodded. "Yeah, I know it sounds far-fetched, but I actually saw one! I would have used it to try and get through the caves, but I was too big to fit on the darn thing." He paused, trying to remember something. "Oh yeah, one other thing you should know. Only someone immortal can go in the temple. Hades did that to make sure that no clever thief would just walk in, get past all the hazards, and get the jewel." Scales puffed up her chest. "Well then, there shouldn't be a problem. I'm immortal, so I should be able to get in that temple easily." Hercules arched an eyebrow. "Immortal, are you? Don't be so cocky, Hades rules Tartarus. He's a master at devising defenses to keep the evil dead from returning to the living world. Making hazards to keep a jewel safe is not much different." "Well, we'll see about these dangers when we reach the temple, shall we? We had better hurry, there are some people after us who also want the Ruby. We have to get there first." Said Arik. "Let's go then!" said Herc, starting to walk away. Arik followed. "Wait, what about the sheep?" asked Scales. "Oh don't worry, they can tend to themselves." Hercules said with a dismissive wave. "Are you coming or not?" "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Scales said, catching up to the two men. They started walking away from the pasture, towards a forest.
A few minutes after they left, a time portal opened, frightening some of the sheep. Sauron stepped out, sniffing the air. "Ah, much better! The smell is greatly improved from that last place." He looked around and licked his lips. "And so much food! Look at it all, plentiful livestock and delicious-looking plants! Ah, an omnivore's paradise!" He sniffed again, and frowned. "Wait a minute. I know that scent. Those two meddlers have been here, and not too long ago from the smell of things. Better get some troops over here, don't want them getting too far ahead of me." He put his head back through the portal. "Hey boys, get your tails over here! We've got fresh meat and grass, and you've got some tracking to do!" He pulled his head back as cheers resounded back home, then grinned nastily at a nervous-looking sheep. "Ah, you look fit to eat, you cuddly thing you! I think I'll eat you first!" Screeching, Sauron pounced on the poor sheep and began disemboweling it, drinking the blood spilt from the wounds he inflicted.
Hercules stopped at a big crack in the ground. "Okay, here we are." He said. Scales and Arik looked at the crack. "I thought you said it was a cave." Said Scales. "It is a cave!" said Herc. "You've just got to walk into the crack, down the slope at the end, see?" he said, pointing to a slope going into the crack. "Once you get down the slope, you're in the cave. Nothing to it." Arik and Scales looked at each other. "That crack's pretty narrow. Who goes first?" he asked. Suddenly, the three heard several approaching roars. "What the Hades?" Hercules asked, disgruntled. Three dozen Massopondylus and raptors could be seen through the trees racing for them. "What kind of monsters are these?" "Oh no! They've found us already! Arik, get in the cave and try to find the temple! Herc and I will hold these buggers off!" said Scales. "But how will you find me once I reach the temple entrance?" Arik protested as the dinosaurs got closer. "I can sense the energy from your Ruby at long distance. When you find the temple, take out the Master Ruby as a signal for me. I can home in on the signal and warp right to you." She said. Arik glanced uneasily at the approaching pack. "Are you sure you can handle these guys? There'll probably be more after them." Scales grinned. "With this time period's greatest hero working with me? It'll be easy!" Arik hesitated, then nodded in defeat. "Fine, just don't get hurt okay?" Hercules rolled his eyes. "Please, we'll be fine Arik! Just go down there already, Scales and I can take care of ourselves." Arik paused another second, then ran into the crack. Scales grinned at Herc as the omnivores reached them. "So hero, ready to rumble?" "You know it!" he said, charging at the dinosaurs. Scales followed him, eager to slit some throats.
Arik winced immediately once he truly was inside the cave. It was extremely hot, due to the molten lava everywhere. The cave was built a little like a fissure, with high walls and lava far below. Arik was on a ledge at the bottom of the slope in the crack. Ahead of him was a horizontal bridge between the walls. Taking a few steps back, Arik leaped to the bridge, landing neatly on it as always. He looked to the right and saw the bridge connected to a ledge running along the wall. He walked to the ledge and started following it. As he went along the ledge, the fissure started widening. When Arik reached the end of the ledge, he could see a big ledge to his left. He jumped across the lava and landed on the big ledge. He followed the ledge until he got out into a big lava-filled cave. The ledge ended a little way ahead, stopping in front of a large stone pillar rising from the lava. Arik walked to the end of the ledge and saw a catwalk running along the side of the pillar. He jumped high and landed on the catwalk, then started going up it. He reached the end and dropped down a few feet to a small platform. On the side facing the platform Arik was now on was a crack in the stone. He slammed his tail into the crack, breaking it open. The pillar was hollow! From the new hole in the pillar, a floating vine drifted out and hovered over the lava. Recalling Scales' mention of these things, Arik thought he could use the vine to reach a ledge across the cavern. He took a running leap and grabbed the vine, swinging it with enough momentum to let go and land on the ledge he was aiming for. He really was that good at jumping. He looked around the large ledge and saw that across a small gap was a slope leading away from the cave. He jumped easily over the gap and started up the slope. He came out in another lava-filled area, a river. Another large ledge was nearby, across another small gap. There was a strange creature, some sort of a monster on the ledge. It was purple, with big pointy ears, bulging yellow eyes, a long nose and thick arms that drooped to the ground. It had a brown loincloth, and clawed feet. It looked like some kind of imp. The imp made a squelching noise and conjured a large fireball, throwing it at Arik. Arik dodged the fireball and started throwing energy balls at the imp. Each ball struck the creature dead-on. The imp squelched again and tried to conjure another fireball. Arik quickly let loose with a dozen energy balls before the imp could even conjure an ember. The imp staggered back and fell to the ground, quite dead. Arik jumped over to the ledge and looked around to see if he could find anywhere else to go. He saw another ledge up ahead. He jumped to the ledge, then the one after that. He jumped from there to a ledge on the other side of the river of lava. He found what looked like a tree with a giant plum hanging from it. Could this be one of the plums Hercules was talking about? He hit the tree with a Homing Kick, causing the plum to fall down. It bounced a little, but was otherwise unharmed. Arik picked up the plum and dropped it off the side of the ledge. True to what he had been told, the plum did not burn up in the lava! He jumped down, landing on the plum. The only problem he had now was figuring out how to steer the thing. On impulse, he generated an energy ball and threw it away from him. He was surprised when the plum started moving in the opposite direction he had shot at! Perhaps this was how he could use the plum to get around. Using energy balls, Arik started piloting the plum down stream, following the lava. After a few minutes of shooting his way down the lava flow, Arik found a ledge near where the lava hit a wall and went underneath it. He fired a ball at the opposite wall to push the plum into the ledge, stopping its movement. He jumped up to the ledge and found a cave entrance and another plum tree. Thinking it might come in handy, Arik knocked down the plum and carried it into the cave. He stopped when he saw a large pit full of lava up ahead. In the middle of the lava was a large metal spike sticking up. Arik considered. The other side of the pit looked too far away to jump to. The spike was too sharp to work as a platform, unless...he threw the plum at the spike. It landed on the top, getting partially skewered. Knowing it could fall off at any second, Arik jumped to the plum, then immediately jumped to the other side of the pit as the plum started to fall of the spike. He walked away from the pit and found himself in a large room with lots of lava. There were a few platforms and natural pillars in the room. There were also a couple of metal spikes in different places. Arik saw another plum tree nearby and knocked the plum from it. He looked around and saw the closest platform was within jumping distance. It also had a metal spike sticking out of a pillar. Since Arik didn't want to try jumping while carrying the large plum, he threw it as hard as he could in the general direction of the platform. It landed neatly on the end of the spike. Arik jumped after it and caught the plum before it could fall from the spike. He then threw it to a spike on a nearby platform and jumped over, catching it before it could fall again. He saw a ledge high on the cave wall above him. He threw the plum to the ledge then jumped to it. He picked up the plum and walked through the tunnel on the ledge, reaching another lava stream. He dropped the plum in the lava, jumped on, and started propelling himself down the stream. After a little while, he saw a ledge on the side of the stream. He stopped the plum and jumped to the ledge. He saw some large cobwebs on the ceiling. Remembering what Hercules had said, Arik jumped up and grabbed the webbing. He was relieved to find it was indeed strong enough to support him. Using the webbing like monkey bars, he started down the rest of the tunnel, clutching the cobwebs tightly. Eventually, he saw a ledge and cave on his right. He swung to the end of the cobwebs and jumped down to the ledge. A pair of baby giant caterpillars immediately attacked him. He blasted the insects to oblivion and went into the cave. He saw the way ahead of him once more filled with lava. Fortunately, another plum tree grew to his right. He knocked down the plum, threw it in the lava, and hopped on. He started shooting energy balls to move around the lava, reaching the back of the cave, near some ledges. He jumped off the plum and to the nearest ledge, then jumped from ledge to ledge until he reached a passageway. He went through the passage and came to a small platform overlooking a larger stream of lava. Grabbing a plum from the nearby tree, Arik threw it into the lava and jumped after it, beginning another trip downstream. After turning a corner, he saw two things up ahead, a ledge on his right and a bridge going over the lava a little further ahead. On the bridge was an imp, who promptly started throwing fireballs. Arik started blasting at the imp with his own energy balls while piloting the plum to a hiding place behind the ledge. He jumped to the ledge and almost got hit by a fireball. He ran into the tunnel on the ledge and followed it as it curved around, opening up on the same lava stream, on another bridge just behind the one with the imp. The imp turned around and started throwing fireballs at the raptor. Arik, instead of just dodging and throwing energy balls, jumped over to the other bridge, grabbed the imp by the ears, and threw it into the lava. The threat gone, Arik went through a tunnel at the end of the imp's bridge. He entered the tunnel and came out in a cave with a few pillars in it and a tunnel high up the wall. As Arik stepped into the room, another imp squelched and ran at him from behind a pillar. Arik quickly hit the imp with a few energy balls and followed it up with a Homing Kick, stunning the imp. While the monster was stunned, the raptor grabbed the creature and hurled him into a wall, knocking him out. The imp out cold, Arik headed for the wall where the tunnel was. He easily jumped up to the tunnel and went inside. The tunnel widened a bit up ahead, revealing some fallen pillars and a hole in the floor. There was nowhere else to go, so Arik jumped down the hole. When he landed, he was in front of the entrance to the temple. It was very Greek looking, with some white pillars supporting a triangular roof. Stairs led up to a door leading inside. Arik sighed in relief. "Good, I've made it. Time to signal Scales." He pulled out the Master Ruby. "I hope she can sense it through all this rock."
Scales dropped another raptor to the ground, leaving a big gash in his stomach. "That would be my twentieth kill so far! How are you doing Herc?" She asked as another Massopondylus charged her. Hercules smashes two dinosaur's skulls and kicked another through five trees. "Damn, I've only gotten up to fifteen! You're good." "Thanks!" said Scales as she tore the Massopondylus' throat out. "Make that twenty-one. Oh! I sense Chronos energy! Arik must have found the temple." "Go on, I can handle these goons! They're nothing compared to the man- eating horses of King Diomedes!" said Hercules, crushing another pair of dinos. "Okay, have fun! Chaos Control!" Scales vanished in a flash of green light.
"Well, looks like it's more for me." Said Hercules, smashing another few raptors.
Scales appeared in the cavern, right in front of the temple. Arik was happy to see her. "It worked! I was worried you wouldn't be able to get here." Scales grinned. "Actually, I wasn't sure it would work either. I was kind of guessing it might work." Arik frowned. "You mean to tell me you sent me down here on an assumption that you could follow me safely just so you could beat up more bad guys?" Scales paused. "Well, sort of." Arik groaned. "Whatever. In any case, we're here now. It's your turn to face certain death, Scales. Go in the temple and get that Ruby!" "Aye aye, captain!" Scales joked, heading up the stairs. "Do be careful!" Arik yelled up at her. Scales smirked. "Aren't I always?" With that, she went through the temple door. "I hope she's okay..." said Arik. "I'd hate for anything bad to happen to her." He leaned against a wall and closed his eyes, deciding he should just take a nap until Scales got back. After all, he had nothing better to do while he waited.
Sorry if this chapter was too short, but I was really out of ideas for what they could do in Greece. That's why I took up so much time with this lava cave thing. Don't worry, the next time period will have a little more scenery. The next chapter may be shorter than usual as well, but please bear with me anyway. So let's move on to our interview! Scales: Hi! Me: Scales, How was it to meet one of your favorite heroes? Scales: He's pretty much like I had expected him to be. He was a good fighter when Sauron's troops started their attack. I'm glad he gave me his autograph. Too bad back home, everyone will think it's a fake. Me: Hey, at least you know it's real. Anyway, how was Greece? Scales: Shorter than I had imagined. Why is that? Me: I was pretty much out of ideas on how to handle this time period, so I had to cut everything down a bit. Besides, it made room for that Arik level thing, didn't it? Scales: Yeah, I guess. Me: Don't worry, I'll try to get you guys a longer experience in the next time period. Scales: Well, all right. When are going, anyway? Me: Can't tell you. Secret. Scales: Damn it all. Me: Anyway, how was your dinner date with Arik? Scales: Very nice, thank you. We decided not to eat Ultra Peepi, he's just too big. Me: Where is that cute giant hamster anyway? Scales: Uh, I'm not exactly sure. (Cut to New York City, where people are running in fear from the giant mutant hamster.) I'm sure he's okay, though. Me: That's nice. Time for some questions! First, from 273. He wants to know why you didn't take Nagus' gold. Scales: How were we supposed to get it out of the cave, even with Chaos Control? There was over a ton of gold coins! Me: He also wants to know how Nagus survived the whole pretzel thing. Scales: Goblins are more resilient than most people, so they can survive more pain. Me: By the way, he tried to get away with giving you fake Chronos Rubies. Scales: WHAT?! Oh, he'll pay for that! Me: Good luck, he vanished right after his review. Anyway, we also have some questions from good old Ultrafan X. He wants to know whether or not we could hide a Ruby somewhere in the present, or during one of your brother's earlier adventures. Scales: We can't do that for one simple reason. You're too lazy to put them anywhere but in the ancient past. Me: SILENCE! I will have no mocking of me! I gave you life and I can take it away! Scales: No you can't. Who will star in the fic? Me: Curse your incredibly high IQ! Anyway, he also thinks Sauron was an idiot to only send three pterodactyls to the swamp. Scales: Not really, swamps are difficult terrain for soldiers. There's not much ground, and there are often nasty things in the water. It was good strategy for him to send flyers, since they could just go over the dangerous parts and land in safe places. Anyway, he only had three adult pterodactyls to spare, the others were too immature. Me: Interesting. Well, that's all the time we have for now. Bye! Scales: See you next time! Please review!